Nitro-paraffins thickened with nu-cocohydroxybutyramide



United States Patent 3,383,252 NITRO-PARAFFlNS THICKENED WITH N-COCO- HYDROXYBUTYRAMIDE Lawrence R. Jones, Terre Haute, Ind., assignor to Commercial Solvents Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Maryland No Drawing. Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,420 13 Claims. (Cl. 14918) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thickened or gelled nitroparaflin compositions comprising a nitroparaflin containing one up to about four carbon atoms and N-coco-l1ydroxybutyramide. Thickened nitroparafiin compositions are prepared by incorporating N-coco-hydroxybutyramide into a nitroparaffin containing from one up to about four carbon atoms.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to nitroparatlin-containing compositions. In a particular aspect, it relates to gelled or thickened, normally liquid nitroparafiin compositions. In a further aspect, it relates to gelled or thickened, normally liquid nitroparafiin compositions stabilized against liquefaction.

Liquid nitroparafiins, such as those containing from one up to about four carbon atoms, are used as propellents in jet propulsion devices and in explosives. It is desirable, in some cases, to employ the normally liquid nitroparafiin in la gelled or thickened form. It is also often desirable that these gelled or thickened forms of nitroparaifin composit-ions be stabilized against liquefaction for extended periods of time.

Gelling and thickening agents for nitroparaffins are known. Among such known gelling agents for nitroparaffins are included the high molecular weight polyoxyethylenes, dextran nitrate, dextran nitrate-sulphates, Z-amino- Z-methylpropanol and the diaryl-desoxy ketitols.

It is an object of the present invention to provide gelled or thickened, normally liquid nitroparafiins containing one up to about four carbon atoms.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide gelled or thickened nitroparafiins containing from one up to about four carbon atoms which are stabilized against liquefaction over extended periods of time.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for gelling or thickening normally liquid nitroparaiiins containing from one up to about four carbon atoms.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the specification and the appended claims.

It has been discovered, in accordance with the present invention, that a nitroparaffin containing from one up to about four carbon atoms and mixtures of said nitroparaffins are converted from the normally liquid form to thickened compositions having viscosity ranging from syrupy liquids to rigid gells by incorporating therewith N-coco-hydroxybutyramide. Such thickened compositions are stabile against liquefaction over extended periods of time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The N-coco-hydroxybutyramide of use in the present invention is commercially available and is sold under the trademark Butoxyne-16O by the General Aniline and Film Corporation.

The compositions of the present invntion are obtained by adding the N-cocohydroxybutyramide to the liquid nitroparafiin at temperatures and under pressures at which explosion of the nitroparaffin is avoided. To obtain a uniform mixture, it is preferred to add the N-coco-hydroxybutyramide in molten form.

The ratio of nitroparaffin to N-coco-hydroxybutyramide may be varied, in order to obtain the particularly desired compositions. An amount as low as 0.1% by weight, based on the weight of the nitroparaffin, of N-coco-hydroxybutyramide has a thickening effect on the nitroparafiin with which it is employed. A fairly thick nitroparaffin composition is formed by incorporating in the nitroparafiin as low as about 2% by weight of N-coco-hydroxybutyramide. Reasonably rigid gels are formed when from about 5 to about 10% by weight of N-coco-hydroxybutyramide is employed. Particularly stifi gels are obtained by use of amounts of N-coco-hydroxybutynamide in excess of 10% by weight. While amounts greater than 20% may be employed, such amounts are generally considered excess.

The above-described compositions may be employed as propellents or in explosive compositions. However, it is sometimes desirable to incorporate one or more additives into the compositions, in order to alter or enhance their performance in a particular application. For example, when the compositions are usd as explosives, it is often desirable to incorporate therewith a sensitizer or a desensitizer. When the compositions are used as propellents, additives such as fuel components, oxidizers and burning catalysts may be utilized.

Examples of sensitizers include the aromatic amines, such as aniline, diphenylethylenediamine and the like; and the aliphatic amines, such as diethylamine, tetraethylenepentamine and the like. Examples of sensitizers include benzene, 1,2-butylene oxide, acetone, cyclohexane, 1,4-dioxane, methanol, methylene chloride, and methyl chloroform and the like.

Examples of fuel components include elemental carbon in various forms, such as carbon black, graphite, and the like; aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as pentane and dodecane, cyclohexane and other cyclic parafiins; organic polymers, such as liquid and solid polymers of ethylene and propylene; organic ketones, such as diethyl ketone, ethylbutyl ketone, dihexyl ketone, cyclohexanone, methylphenyl ketone and the like; and alkyl ethers of saturated glycols, such as monomethyl ether of ethylene glycol and monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol and the like. Examples of oxidizers include solid organic oxidizers, such as guanidine nitrate, pentaerythritol tetranitrate, cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine and the like; and solid inorganic oxidizers, such as ammonium nitrate, lithium nitrate and the like.

Examples of burning rate catalysts include chrome acetyl acetonate, ammonium cromate, iron oxide and the like.

In accordance with the present invention, it has been observed that the rigidity and stability of the compositions of the present invention are improved when aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons, such as for example, pentane, hexane, benzene and xylene are included therein.

The invention will be understood more fully by reference to the following specific examples. It is understood that the examples are presented for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a limitation of the invention.

Example 1 A rigid gell was prepared by mixing parts by weight nitromethane and 5 parts by weight of molten N-cocohydroxybutyramide. The molten N-coco-hydroxybutyramide was prepared by heating the N-coco-hydroxybutyramide to about F. The gel was allowed to stand at room temperature for one week. At the end of the oneweek period no sign of liquefaction of the gel was observed.

Additional examples of compositions of nitroparaflins 3 and N-coco-hydroxybutyramide are given in the table. The compositions were prepared following the procedure of Example 1 and were found to have stability similar to the composition of Example 1.

A rigid gel was prepared by mixing five parts by weight of molten N-coco-hydroxybutyramide and 95 parts by weight of a mixture prepared by mixing 50 parts of xylene, 25 parts of Z-nitropropane and 25 parts of nitromethane. The molten N-coco-hydroxybutyramide was prepared by heating the N-coco-hydroxybutyramide to about 140 F. The gel was allowed to stand at room temperature for one week. At the end of the one-Week period no sign of liquefaction of the gel was observed.

Since many embodiments of this invention may be made and since many changes may be made in the embodiments described, the foregoing is to be interpreted as illustrative only, and the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. A composition of matter comprising a nitroparafiin having from one up to four carbon atoms and N-cocohydroxybutyramide, said N-coco-hydroxybutyramide being present in amounts effective to thicken the nitroparaffin.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the composition contains from about 0.1 to about 20% by weight of N-coco-hydroxybutyramide based on the weight of the nitroparafiin.

3. The composition of claim 2 wherein the composition contains from about 2 to about 10% by weight of N-cocohydroxybutyramide based on the weight of the nitroparaffin.

4. The composition of claim 2 wherein the nitroparafiin is nitromethane.

5. The composition of claim 2 wherein the nitroparaffin is nitroethane.

6. The composition of claim 2 wherein the nitroparafiin is l-nitropropane.

7. The composition of claim 2 wherein the nitroparafim is 2-nitropropane.

8. A method for gelling and thickening a nitroparaflin having from one up to four carbon atoms which comprises incorporating into the said nitroparaffin from about 0.1 to about 20% by Weight of N-coco-hydroxybutyramide.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the amount of hydroxybutyramide ranges from about .2 to about 10% 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the nitroparafiin is nitromethane.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the nitroparaffin is nitroethane.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the nitroparafiln is 2-nitropropane.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the nitroparaifin is 1-nitropropane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,239,395 3/1966 Laurence 149--89 3,242,022 3/1966 Atkins et a1 149-89 3,288,867 11/1966 Egly et a1 14989 X 3,318,741 5/1967 Jones 149-89 5 CARL D. QUARFORTH, Primary Examiner.

L. A. SEBASTIAN, Assistant Examiner. 

